A genetic consultation when planning a pregnancy helps assess the risk of inherited diseases and genetic disorders for your future child before conception. At Baltic American Clinic in Vilnius, a clinical geneticist advises women and couples who want to assess their family’s genetic history, have had recurrent miscarriages, are facing fertility problems or have other genetic risk factors.
During the consultation, the medical history of both partners and their families is discussed and possible hereditary factors are assessed. If needed, the doctor recommends genetic tests, explains what they can and cannot show, and helps you make informed decisions when planning a pregnancy.
The family medical history of both partners and the possible inheritance of genetic disorders are analysed.
Genetic and laboratory tests are recommended according to the risk factors identified and medical indications.
We advise women planning a pregnancy, couples with infertility and patients after unsuccessful pregnancies.
The meaning of any genetic factors found is explained, along with options for further tests and pregnancy care.
When should you see a geneticist when planning a pregnancy?
- Inherited diseases in the family. You, your partner or your relatives have a genetic disease or are carriers of a known genetic change.
- A previous child with a genetic disease. You already have a child diagnosed with an inherited disease, a chromosomal change or a congenital developmental disorder.
- Recurrent miscarriages. You have had several pregnancy losses or non-developing pregnancies with no clear cause.
- Fertility problems. You are unable to conceive, changes in reproductive health have been found, or the doctor suspects a genetic cause of infertility.
- Planned assisted reproduction. Circumstances have been identified before treatment that may require an assessment of genetic risk.
- A suspected rare genetic disease in the family. Relatives have unexplained developmental disorders, congenital anomalies or other possibly inherited conditions.
- You want to assess hereditary risk. You are planning a pregnancy and have questions about passing genetic diseases on to your future child.
What happens during a genetic consultation?
Review of your family medical history. The clinical geneticist discusses your and your partner’s medical history, previous pregnancies, diseases diagnosed in the family, congenital disorders and other information relevant to inheritance.
Genetic risk analysis. Based on the information gathered, the doctor assesses whether there are signs of a possible inherited disease or chromosomal change. If needed, the doctor explains how the disease is inherited and the possible risk for your future child.
Deciding which tests are needed. If there are medical indications, the doctor may recommend targeted genetic or chromosomal tests. The choice depends on your family history and clinical situation.
Discussing results and next steps. The doctor explains what the genetic factors found may mean for the planned pregnancy, which further tests would be useful and which prenatal diagnostic options can be considered once you are pregnant.
Which genetic tests may be recommended?
Genetic tests are chosen individually. Not every couple planning a pregnancy needs the same investigations.
- Chromosome tests. These may be recommended when changes in the number or structure of chromosomes are suspected, including in some cases after recurrent miscarriages.
- Targeted genetic tests. If a specific inherited disease or a known genetic change has been found in the family, the related genes may be tested.
- Carrier testing for inherited diseases. In certain cases it may be recommended to check whether the partners carry genetic variants of specific inherited diseases.
Before ordering a test, the doctor discusses its purpose, what it can diagnose and its limitations. Normal genetic test results do not eliminate the risk of all possible inherited or congenital disorders.
How to prepare for a genetic consultation
No special physical preparation is needed. What matters most is the information you have about your own and your family’s health.
- Bring the results of any previous genetic tests.
- If an inherited disease has been diagnosed in your family, it helps to have documents stating the exact diagnosis or the genetic change found.
- Prepare information about the medical history of your and your partner’s close relatives, including congenital diseases or developmental disorders.
- If you have had miscarriages, non-developing pregnancies or genetic tests during a previous pregnancy, bring the related medical documents.
- If you have had infertility treatment, it helps to bring summaries of earlier tests and treatment.
The family medical history of both partners is important when assessing the risk of inherited diseases, so, if possible, prepare this information in advance.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is a genetic consultation needed before getting pregnant?
Yes. A consultation before pregnancy is especially useful when there are inherited diseases in the family, there have been recurrent miscarriages or other genetic risk factors have been found. It gives you the chance to assess the risk and consider testing before conception.
Do both partners need to attend the consultation?
It is not required, but the family medical history of both partners is important when assessing the risk of inherited diseases. If only one partner attends, it helps to collect information in advance about diseases diagnosed in the other partner’s family too.
Do I need genetic tests before the consultation?
No. The doctor first assesses your family history and decides whether genetic tests are needed. If you already have test results, bring them to the consultation.
Can a genetic disease be passed on to a child if both parents are healthy?
Yes. Some inherited diseases can be passed on to a child even though neither parent has symptoms. For example, with an autosomal recessive disease, both parents may be healthy carriers of the genetic change.
Can genetic tests guarantee that the baby will be born healthy?
No. Genetic tests can identify specific changes or help assess the risk of certain diseases, but they do not cover all genetic and non-genetic health conditions. Even normal results do not guarantee that a child will not develop any disease.
How does a genetic consultation before pregnancy differ from NIPT?
A genetic consultation before pregnancy assesses the risk of inherited diseases for the future child based on the medical history of the parents and their families. NIPT is done during pregnancy: it analyses DNA of placental origin in the pregnant woman’s blood and estimates the likelihood of certain chromosomal changes in the baby. NIPT is a screening test, not a test that gives a definitive diagnosis.
Can a genetic consultation help after recurrent miscarriages?
Yes. In some cases recurrent miscarriages may be linked to chromosomal changes. The clinical geneticist reviews your pregnancy history and previous tests and decides whether further genetic investigations are needed.
Do I need a referral for a paid genetic consultation?
No, you do not need a doctor’s referral for a paid genetic consultation.
Consultation price
The price of a genetic consultation depends on its scope. If further genetic or laboratory tests are needed, the need for them and the expected costs are discussed during the consultation.